Boria Majumdar in Paris
He had just saved the fourth shoot-out attempt from Great Britain, and it was a spectacular effort to say the least. Just then, his reaction said it all. Half-crouched on the turf, PR Sreejesh was roaring. And with him, India. He knew his last dance had turned memorable, and the emotion had all come out. He isn’t, however, done yet. Sreejesh, we all know, wants to better Tokyo. He has said it time and again to us in multiple interviews. And now, he is a step away. Germany, who India beat to win the bronze medal in Tokyo, stands between Sreejesh and a historic Olympic final.
Imagine a team playing with 10 men for almost 45 minutes of the match. What does that do to a goalkeeper who knows his team is lacking in legs, and that for the next three quarters he would have to save everything that came his way? For some, it would be enough to deflate them. Add to that the pressure of an Olympic quarterfinal. For Sreejesh, however, it charged him up. He just converted his area into a fortress, and was the general commanding his team to make sure the enemy didn’t get an opening.
Britain did everything but beat Sreejesh. It was individual brilliance of a very different kind, and yet with Sreejesh, it is becoming routine in these Olympic Games. May be because it is his last dance, Sreejesh is making every second count. And in doing so, giving India a new lifeline and a new song to sing.
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India’s victory against Britain was a study in defensive strategy. Down to 10 men, that was India’s only option. And they stood up to the challenge. While the backline played a game to remember, Sreejesh took the game to a level of perfection very seldom seen or achieved. He was almost robotic, as if AI was submitting signals to his subconscious mind and telling him what Britain were trying to do. And even before they did, Sreejesh was there to scuttle them. That he is an all-time great is well known, but in Paris, the greatness has been elevated to a very different level.
While posing for photos with the Indian media at the end of the game, Sreejesh said one simple thing. “The journey isn’t done yet. So the celebrations can wait.” That’s how he is. Loves to stay in the present, and stay rooted and humble. Only when an opponent invades his turf does Sreejesh turn hostile. Sadly for Great Britain, they were at the receiving end yesterday.
The moment the match is over, he is a very different man. Soft-spoken, witty and sensitive. I can’t wait to see Sreejesh on top of the goalpost, much like in Tokyo, and look down at what has been his home for 20-plus years one final time. That is unless he decides to reconsider his retirement based on a national referendum.
Tell him this, and he will smile. Perhaps even say something hugely funny. But yes, he has done his job. To perfection. But he has to do it twice more before he walks into a glorious sunset of his own making. One of the best to play the sport, and one of the greatest to play sport for India. He is someone I consider a close friend, and will always have fond memories of. On my birthday, he was in Kolkata for the Trailblazers Conclave. His sessions had finished on the March 7, and he was on an early morning flight back the next day. At 4:15am, he sent a message asking if I was up. I was, because I was anxious how the conclave would shape up. When I messaged him, he requested me to see him in the lobby for a minute. When I went down, I saw Sree waiting with a signed jersey. My birthday present.
Thank you, Sree, for all the memories, but let’s enrich them with two more games! You deserve to stand on the podium one more time, and this time round, the colour of the medal should be brighter!